Embark on a series of adventures with Mavis and Dot but prepare yourself for a roller coaster of emotions. Humour and adorable, eccentric characters present a commentary on modern Britain. Reading Angela Petch’s ‘Mavis and Dot’ is like delving into a large slice of Tiramisu: the pick me up dessert with a bitter sweet balance of perfection.
Like a quintessential seaside town, Mavis and Dot have Britishness stamped through their charming identities. Though they are as different as builders’ tea and Lapsang Souchong, they are both women of a certain age from the same generation. The contrast between this couple of friends makes them so endearing you don’t want to leave them. Beneath the façade of flamboyant Mavis and straight-laced Dot, there are secrets and loneliness. Loneliness is a cruel companion who can be banished with the warmth of a cuppa and chat. Peel away the faded glory of Mavis and Dot to reveal their secrets and warm hearts. I guarantee this story will warm your heart.
Wonderful humour is presented through the characters and the author’s powers of observation. I was drawn into the story with Mrs Gallsworthy whose ‘cameo necklace dangled like a climber hanging on for dear life over a precipice.’ We have all met these characters, yet only Petch could capture this personality so beautifully. Humour is contrasted with pathos to form a vivid impression of the characters’ lives. Mavis’s only photo of her lover is a framed photo of an image cut out of the funeral order of service, but she manages to search for some joy in the sadness. Her penchant for Italian men, fuelled by her liaison with her lover, takes Mavis on a challenging journey of discovery.
Dot describes Mavis as ‘the salt of the earth’. Mavis’s kindness opens a new world for Dot. Though Dot has her own eccentricities such as sleeping on cushions with the windows open: an eccentricity that is both funny and sad. Dot’s reflections on love made me giggle when she compares falling in love to catching mumps. She explains, ‘… it’s fine catching mumps when you’re young but it’s tricky when you’re older. It hits you harder.’ Hilarious observations hit you throughout the narrative but digging deeper often creates a lump in your throat. For instance, the scene where Mavis models for a group of artists captures the combination of humour and poignancy perfectly.
The unlikely friends enjoy shopping in charity shops while seeking sanctuary in the various tea shops. It was comforting to settle in ‘the cosy fug’ of the cafés while they search for a ‘a large helping of happiness’ as they shelter from the storm of loneliness. Both ladies are from an era that ‘learned to keep their feelings buttoned up’. One hopes they will help each other to find out more about themselves. The house doesn’t have to be ‘too quiet’ if you open your door to others.
This clever, touching and powerful writing leaves you thinking. Life can’t be all fairground rides and candyfloss: visiting the seaside is different in the mature years, yet it is possible to make the most of it. Happiness can be sought in the company of others, but when alone we must comfortable with ourselves. Reading this book will provide the comfort of nostalgia, cake and a good old fashioned giggle with these characters. I loved this celebration of life painted with vivid brushstrokes of humour.
Angela Petch is a #1 bestselling author who also writes for People’s Friend. All proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to a cancer charity. ‘Mavis and Dot’ celebrates the eccentricities of Britishness but appeals to everyone.
My blogging USA pal has also reviewed this book. See Jena’s review at: https://www.jenabooks.com/a-new-book-to-share-mavis-and-dot-by-angela-petch/
About Angela:
I’m an award-winning writer of fiction – and the occasional poem. In 2018, I was contracted by Bookouture with a two-book deal. The first, a slightly amended version of “Tuscan Roots”, will come out in June 2019. A brand new second Tuscan novel is scheduled for Spring 2020.
Every summer I move to Tuscany for six months where my husband and I own a renovated watermill which we let out to holidaymakers from across the globe. When not exploring our unspoiled corner of the Apennines, I disappear to my writing desk at the top of our converted stable.
In my Italian handbag or hiking rucksack I always make sure to store notebook and pen, for I never know when an idea for a story might strike and I don’t want it to drift away.
The winter months are spent in Sussex where most of our family live. When I’m not helping out with grandchildren, I catch up with writer friends and enjoy walking along the sea, often quite moody in the winter months but inspiring. I’ve lived abroad for most of my life, including several childhood years in Italy. After graduating with honours in Italian at the University of Kent at Canterbury, I worked for a short spell for The Times, before moving to new employment in Amsterdam. The job relocated to Sicily, where I met my half-Italian husband. We married near Urbino and then went to live for three magical years in Tanzania. Wherever I travel I store sights, sounds and memories for stories I feel compelled to record.
Visit Angela’s blog:
https://angelapetchsblogsite.wordpress.com/
Connect with Angela at:
@Angela_Petch
@AngelaJaneClarePetch
Please see all my book reviews at Books In Handbag and my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.
Time for Honesty
Earlier in the day, we had strolled past the white Norwegian church in Cardiff Bay, and this reminded me of ‘
It was a pleasure to get to know Emmelin. She would be a loyal friend who needs a little support, and the occasional nudge in the right direction. Fortunately, her friends are always on hand with delicious vanilla custard bakes, custard doughnuts, cakes and cookies. Despite the troubled childhood in Solvik, it provides Emmelin with a haven from reality. Solvik is the ideal cosy retreat conjured while gazing into the flames of a cosy fire. Café Soleside would be my go to destination if I needed a culinary treat to soothe the senses. I would order smoked salmon and scrambled eggs baked with cream cheese and salad. Although the food is Norwegian, there is a familiarity with my own culture, and I loved this. It is also reassuring to be presented with a couple of villains who one hopes will also get their just desserts!
And there are some bitter twists in the novel to evoke your compassion for Emmelin. The narrative gains pace as it heads towards Christmas. I hoped there would be a comforting ending to compliment the ‘vanilla custard bakes with sugar glaze and coconut flakes.’ Or perhaps the bitterness of misunderstandings would be soaked up with the ‘creamy fish soup with seafood and newly baked rolls.’
I found a cosy setting for the Norwegian church as, ‘the ocean had frozen as I {she} gazed out at the white, untouched landscape. Little could compare with fallen snow.’ What a treat to find a charming Christmas tucked away in the corner of a sweet novel. If only, I could have skied over the Welsh mountains to meet Magda, Oliver, Emmelin and her first love. Instead, I decided to try some of the recipes at the end of the novel. Time to plan my New Year’s Eve menu, and Time to look forward to the year ahead.
Mette Barfelt is a Scandinavian author. After 16 years working for travel agents and airlines, she got a degree in Marketing, before she started writing books. Naturally, with her background in the travel industry, she has travelled extensively throughout the world and visited numerous countries. Her passion for travels and cruises has resulted in the non-fiction book “Alt du bør vite om cruise”, published by Aschehoug Publishing House in Norway.
Alexa and Rosie are presented via a first person narrative, and this insight plays tricks with the reader’s mind – one questions whose ‘game’ is dominant. The contrasting characters are presented using animal imagery of the cat and the mouse. Careful choice of verbs indicates who is ‘ambushing’ the friendship.
Before reaching the crisis point, Alexa wears a mask of control like a cat waiting to pounce. Rosie, is forced to confront her vulnerability. She learns how ‘empathetic skills’ are viewed as weakness by some, if not ‘managed’. Rosie’s language flows, driven by emotions, and she explains:
The long sentence and outpouring of emotions amplify the sense of vulnerability. But the ‘sweet and sour’ characters begin to shift, as the dichotomy is not fixed. If one deconstructs the manipulator’s ‘game’ it is possible to fight back. However, Alexa becomes isolated, vulnerable and needs support. I was intrigued with the way that this story manipulated my emotions.
Leuschel cracks open the fragility of the human psyche in an artful manner, and clues about the characters’ vulnerabilities are woven into the text. This brutal, haunting story of the human psyche arms the reader with some survival tactics. Despite an uneasy feeling, one finds empathy for the manipulator. Perhaps, this novella will lead to a novel examining what shaped the manipulator’s behaviour, and what happens next.
